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These Red Cheese Enchiladas are an old family favorite recipe that is authentic and simply delicious!! They are cheesy, saucy, and loved by all.
The Best Cheese Enchiladas
We’ve made cheese enchiladas for decades, and they are INCREDIBLE!!
With our Hispanic heritage we have been surrounded by amazing cooks our whole lives. This recipe was first handed down from our great-grandma Bean Burro down to my grandma, then to my mom and now to us.
Minor tweaks have been made over the years, but we are confident they are even better than the restaurants and are perfect served with Pinto Beans, Spanish Rice, or maybe even some Beef Empanadas.
Why we love them:
- Simple. Even making a homemade enchilada sauce, this recipe comes together quick and is no-fail!
- Delicious. The flavors and spices and cheese make these enchiladas to die-for and perfect for any Mexican meal.
- Perfect for parties. Whether it’s for Christmas or fiesta, these enchiladas (along with our Chicken Enchiladas) are the star on the menu.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- all-purpose flour
- Gebhardt Chili Powder – our favorite chili powder (but any brand works)
- garlic powder
- oregano
- salt
- cumin
- chicken broth
- Corn Tortillas
- Mexican Blend Cheese – “Mexican blend cheese”, is what is typically used in restaurant enchiladas. It is a blend of cheeses usually consisting of Monterrey Jack, Cheddar or Colby Jack, and cheeses that melt easily such as asadero and oaxaca (also known as quesadilla cheese).
How to Make Cheese Enchiladas
- BEGIN SAUCE. To make these enchiladas, you have to begin with the enchilada sauce. This is made by adding oil to the pot and heating on Medium heat. Pour in flour and create a roux by whisking together for 1-2 minutes.
- SPICES. Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and mix until clumpy.
- BROTH. Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time and until there are no more clumps. Heat for about 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
- ASSEMBLE. Get your pan close to your sauce, along with a bowl of shredded cheese, and your tortillas. Dip each tortilla into the sauce until soft and put into the greased dish.
- FILL + ROLL. Add 1/4 cup cheese and roll up and push to the end of the pan.
- BAKE. Continue doing this with your tortillas until your pan is full. From there, you will pour the excess sauce over your tortillas. Sprinkle the top with more cheese, then bake (uncovered) at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
PRO TIP: Easy Rolling
Our favorite way to make sure tortillas roll up easily is by wrapping the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwaving for about 30 seconds. You can also flash fry them in oil for a few seconds on each side before dipping them in the sauce. Either method makes for easy rolling.
Cheese Enchiladas
Restaurant-Style Red Cheese Enchiladas are an old family favorite recipe that is simply the best!! They are cheesy, saucy, and so yummy.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp Gebhardt Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Corn Tortillas
- Mexican Blend Cheese
Instructions
- Add oil to pot and heat on Medium. Pour in flour and whisk together and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and oregano and mix until clumpy. Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time and until there are no more clumps. Heat for 15 minutes or until thickened.
- After you have made your sauce, you will want to dip your corn tortillas in the sauce until they are soft and immediately put it into a greased 11×7 pan.
- From there you will add cheese (I use the Mexican Blended Cheese), roll it up and push it to the end of the pan.
- Continue doing this with your tortillas until your pan is full. From there you will pour the excess sauce over your tortillas. Sprinkle the top with more cheese. (You can also prepare this in advance and refrigerate until ready to cook).
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Video
Notes
MAKE AHEAD OF TIME. These can made ahead of time, covered and refrigerated for 24 hours in advance.
STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FREEZE by making a disposable tray, covering tightly with foil and placing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 64kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Fat: 4g, Sodium: 480mg, Potassium: 62mg, Vitamin C: 5.4mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
What are the best toppings for cheese enchiladas?
- Fresh vegetables: sliced avocado, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, diced green onions, diced jalapeno peppers
- Salsas: Pico de Gallo, Homemade Salsa, Guacamole, Avocado Cream Sauce
- Dairy and cheese: sour cream, cotija cheese, queso fresco
Can I add meat to these enchiladas?
- Yes, any kind of meat you like! We’ve added rotisserie chicken, Shredded Chicken, Pork Barbacoa, and even shredded beef (our Beef Enchiladas are basically this recipe with the addition of beef).
Can cheese enchiladas be made ahead of time?
- These can made ahead of time, covered and refrigerated for 24 hours in advance.
How to store cheese enchiladas?
- STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- FREEZE by making a disposable tray, covering tightly with foil and placing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Thanks
The pop up video is extremely annoying.
Ahh…I should have read the comments to see the trick about softening the tortillas in the microwave, first! I used Tom Thumb store brand. They broke when I tried to roll them. I tried leaving them in the sauce for a while, but then they broke apart when I tried to lift them out. I will try again with Kroger tortillas! I doubled the recipe and made one pan of (broken) rolled tortillas and one pan of stacked tortillas (tear apart tortillas into pieces and layer with sauce and cheese). I figured they would both taste the same. 🙂 The taste is great, family loved them, and we will make again!
Yes, different brands crumble and break more than others. Not sure why? Kroger brand is my favorite! But how clever to layer it like a casserole too. Glad to hear they tasted yummy and that your family enjoyed! Thanks for sharing!
Made this recipe exactly as stated tonight except added sliced black olives & scallions. It was sooo good! Sauce had great flavor, was plenty thick, and the enchiladas were so cheesy! Sounds like some folks had trouble rolling the tortillas without breaking them. I slathered a scoop of sauce in the bottom of my Pyrex pan and rolled the tortillas right in the pan. Reduces mess and the possibility of breakage. This recipe tastes 100% authentic & is definitely a keeper – Kristyn, thanks so much for sharing!
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. The addition of olives and scallions sounds delicious! Thanks for your kind words and review. Happy to hear the recipe was a hit!
My family loved this recipe. I made a separate sauce for my mom with half the chili and it was still too spicy for her. So I added a small amount of tomato sauce which smoothed it out. But this recipe is awesome the way it is. Unless you’re my mom haha
Haha! I’m glad you all enjoyed the recipe and yes, certainly feel free to adjust the heat for those who like more mild flavors. 😉 Thanks for sharing!
What would I mark on your site for servings if I wanted 14 enchiladas?
I usually get about 7-8 enchiladas from one recipe, depending on how large you fill your enchiladas. So I’d suggest doubling the recipe (change to 12 servings).
I like this recipe. The tortillas, I heat in the microwave for a minute, and this keeps them from breaking. Also, I found it very difficult to dip these into the chili sauce, so i slather the sauce on the tortillas, add some diced onions, then put the cheese, roll up. After all are rolled up, I pour the remaining sauce on top, topped with onion and more cheese. Good recipe for the red sauce.
That totally works! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!! Thanks for sharing.
I don’t recommend this recipe to any enchilada lover considering that there is a lot of problems with this recipe. The first problem has to do with the roux. In her pictures, its obvious that she uses more flour and oil than she states in the ingredients. When making the roux, it clumps up very quickly (much quicker than the time she says to mix it for) and you are basically rushed into adding the rest of the ingredients. This red sauce does not take fifteen minutes to clunk up like the recipe states, at best five minutes.
Requesting people to dunk a tortilla raw into the sauce is just asking to get bad reviews, because they are very delicate and will break from the weight of the sauce. For people who want to follow this recipe, I recommend taking your corn tortillas and wrapping them in a damp paper towel before putting them in a ziplock and popping it into the microwave for a minute. You can stack them two at a time, and it preps them beautifully. Just be careful when taking them out because they get very hot this way. Next I recommend to be safe and not dunk them inside this sauce, but continue to the next step on the recipe. Stuff them in cheese and/or chicken/beef and roll them into the pan. (Make sure to spray it with cooking spray first). After your pan is stuffed and full, pour on your sauce that you have made and pop it into the oven at the time and temp it states.
Personally, I might follow this recipe again in my own way and after this I’ll probably stick to the can from the store when wanting red sauce or try my hand at a different recipe.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe. Thanks for your feedback and for giving it a try.
Made this sauce yesterday, looked good , but too much chili powder! My mom also made a sauce but less chili powder, no cumin , and no oregano, which was much better taste. Just thought I’d try something different , but think I’ll stick to the one I have.
We already talked about the tortillas falling apart it’s taste was ok but it seemed to be missing something. I would try it again if the tortillas problem was solved
PS the tortillas were purchased today so a new package was opened
Thanks for letting me know how it went! I try to use the Kroger brand of yellow corn tortillas for this recipe because they seem sturdier and don’t fall apart as easily. They can be found at grocery stores such as Fry’s and Smith’s but I don’t know if those stores are found in your area. It’s hard to find a good sturdy tortilla that is also soft. I’m sorry it didn’t work out as well as you had hoped. Thanks so much for sharing!